Collaborative Research: Geological and Paleoecological Context of Primate Evolution on Rusinga and Mfangano Islands, Kenya

肯尼亚鲁辛加岛和姆夫万加诺岛上的化石是了解最早猿类起源和多样化的最丰富的信息来源之一。鲁辛加/姆夫万加诺遗址以原始猿原执政猿和卡他林灵长类动物树猴、尼扬扎古猿和湖猴而闻名，还保存了丰富的哺乳动物、爬行动物、鸟类和无脊椎动物化石，以及罕见的化石元素，如树叶、种子、水果和昆虫。因此，不仅可以重建这些灵长类动物的解剖结构，还可以重建它们的时间背景，它们的摄食生态学，栖息地偏好以及它们繁荣发展的更广泛的生态群落。该项目将对Rusinga/Mfangano进行新的研究，以进一步了解茎卡他灵和人科动物的年代学和古生态学。具体目标是：1）在鲁辛加和姆方加诺的灵长类化石遗址内部和之间建立地层和年代控制; 2）重建整个地质序列的古环境条件，以评估这些灵长类动物生活的生态参数。这项工作将在三个夏天进行，包括基本地层分析、绝对和相对测年、受控化石收集、稳定同位素分析、现有动物群收集的修订和牙齿微磨损分析。该项目的智力价值在于结合地质学，古生物学和古生态学方法，通过开发Rusinga和Mfangano卡他林灵长类动物的高分辨率年代地层数据和详细的古生态学模型，大大提高了我们对人科动物进化和适应的认识。该项目还在促进地方一级的教育与合作、推动地方参与化石遗产的保护、雇用肯尼亚当地和国家工作人员、教育本科生和研究生以及促进国际和跨学科合作方面产生了相当广泛的影响。

Fossil deposits on the Kenyan islands of Rusinga and Mfwangano comprise one of the richest sources of information for understanding the origin and diversification of the earliest apes. Best known for the primitive ape Proconsul and catarrhine primates Dendropithecus, Nyanzapithecus, and Limnopithecus, Rusinga/Mfwangano sites also preserve copious mammal, reptile, bird, and invertebrate fossils, as well as rarely seen fossil elements such as leaves, seeds, fruits, and insects. Thus, it becomes possible to reconstruct not just the anatomy of these primates, but also their chronological context, aspects of their feeding ecology, habitat preferences, and the broader ecological community in which they thrived. This project will undertake new research on Rusinga/Mfangano to further our knowledge of the chronology and paleoecology of stem catarrhines and hominoids. Specific objectives are to: 1) establish stratigraphic and chronological control within and among primate fossil sites on Rusinga and Mfangano; and 2) reconstruct paleoenvironmental conditions throughout the geological sequence to assess the ecological parameters in which these primates lived. Work will be carried out over three summers and include basic stratigraphic analysis, absolute and relative dating, controlled fossil collection, analyses of stable isotopes, revisions of existing faunal collections, and dental microwear analysis. The intellectual merit of this project lies in combining geological, paleontological, and paleoecological methodologies to substantially advance our knowledge of hominoid evolution and adaptation through development of high-resolution chronostratigraphic data and detailed paleoecological models for Rusinga and Mfangano catarrhine primates. This project also has considerable broader impact in promoting education and cooperation at the local level, advancing local involvement in the preservation of the fossil heritage, employing local and national Kenyan workers, educating undergraduate and graduate students, and promoting international and interdisciplinary collaborations.